Not so fast, Monsieur Maupassant

I posted the Maupassant quote because I find it an interesting take on the creative process – albeit one I completely disagree with. I spent the morning hiking the foothills west of town, and walked along contemplating said passage. I was struck by how my eye was suddenly, forcibly drawn to the “paintings” I found in the landscape, and how no degree of study and labor would alter that first initial shock of discovery. It is the dynamic moment that I seek to capture in a painting – even in the most mundane, everyday object. Originality comes not from becoming enslaved by the subject, but by noticing and recording its immediate effect on our one, unique consciousness.